| On 22 July 1950, the Danish Government offered the
transport Motor Ship Bella Dan, but withdrew the offer and instead on the
18 August 1950 offered medical assistance in the form of a fully equipped
and staffed hospital ship, to the United Nations forces serving in Korea,
which was accepted. So in July 1950 the Danish Government ordered the
conversion of the 8,500 ton Motor Vessel JUTLANDIA to fill this
requirement. Conversion of JUTLANDIA, originally built at Nakskov
Shipyard in 1934, was completed at the same shipyard in three months.
When finished the JUTLANDIA was a modern hospital ship with 300 beds, 3
operating theatres, a dental clinic, X-Ray facilities and staffed by a
rapidly assembled, but very competent, medical staff.
The JUTLANDIA sailed from Copenhagen in September 1950, arriving at
Pusan in October 1950 where it served basically as an evacuation hospital
with 100 medical personnel, (a facility providing treatment and temporary
hospitalisation until the patient could be moved to where they could
receive long term care). Returning to Denmark upon completion of its
first tour in Korean waters it had a helicopter deck installed before
returning to Korea. On arrival back in Korean waters on its second tour
JUTLANDIA war anchored at Inch’on, close enough to the fighting front so
that wounded could be evacuated to the ship directly from battalion and
regimental aid stations.
In all the JUTLANDIA served three tours of five to eight months each
and personnel were rotated each trip. In all approximately 450 Danish
medical personnel were involved during the war and of these about
twenty-five percent were female hospital staff. The JUTLANDIA returned to
Denmark on 16th October 1953 (16th August 1957). Nine Danish doctors also
participated in the exchange of prisoners after the Korean War. |
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